Mincemeat

This delicious mincemeat will keep happily in a cool dark place for at least a year. If you are preparing your own suet (the fat that surrounds the beef kidney), make sure that every trace of blood has been removed before you whiz it in the food processor, otherwise it will cause the mincemeat to go off.

Method

Place the apple chunks in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon of water, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 8–10 minutes or until the apples are cooked down to a pulp. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Mix with all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and place in sterilised jars. Leave to mature for at least two weeks, if possible, before using. If properly stored (somewhere cool in sterilised jars), this mincemeat should last for 1–2 years.

Tip To prepare suet properly, first peel off all the papery membrane that surrounds the suet. Next, use a knife to cut away any traces of kidney, blood or any gristle. Then roughly chop the suet and put it into a food processor. Pulse a few times until it is the consistency of rough breadcrumbs. Suet, once prepared, can be frozen.